


all the lights

by g0ldendays



Category: Formula 2 RPF, Motorsport RPF
Genre: Christian makes a short appearance as well, Gen, other F2 FDA kids make a short appearance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:28:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27405064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/g0ldendays/pseuds/g0ldendays
Summary: Marcus doesn't have much faith in himself to finish the season on a high, but Callum does.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	all the lights

**Author's Note:**

> What can I say, Marcus and Callum are really all up in my grill today. I blame the soft pictures they've given us recently. Grey sweater Callum and blue tie-dye hoodie Marcus? Yes please.
> 
> This fic is just me manifesting good races for Marcus in Bahrain. Do u hear that, racing gods? All I want for my birthday is good races for Marcus and Callum, thank u <3
> 
> Is this a romantic fic? Not quite, but it's one of those fics where you can read more between the lines than I've actually written. Also, the word count is so incredibly satisfying I decided to just end it where I did. I swear that wasn't planned, but it works.

Marcus has been dreading Bahrain since Sochi. But there's nowhere to hide anymore, because he's currently boarding his plane to Bahrain. The only times he usually feels this much dread boarding a plane is when he's leaving New Zealand, leaving his family behind. Not on his way to a race weekend. It's only Wednesday, tomorrow's track walk day and he won't be in the car until Friday but he already knows it's just going to be another disaster waiting to happen. That sharp right of turn one with 22 cars? There's no way they'll all make it through unscathed and he definitely won't if he's in the middle of the pack. And there's no doubt about it that he will be. His best qualifying all year was fourth, in Mugello, and it didn't do him much good. Only two more weeks, he tells himself. And then he might finally be able to go home. Of course, he spent most of lockdown in New Zealand, but it's been a long time already. Or at least, it feels like it's been a long time. 

Marcus has spent most of his time off between Sochi and Bahrain studying and analysing his own data. It took many trips to France, to visit ART headquarters, because they weren't just going to send him data - what if another team got hold of it? Personally, Marcus strongly doubts the data of a back fielder would be of any use to other teams, but he decided it wasn't worth the argument. He's not sure if it'll actually help him, but at least he can say he's tried everything to improve. Callum was very intrigued as to why Marcus was making so many trips to France, probably thought it was for something else entirely, but when Marcus explained, he seemed to understand. They'd talked about it before as well, given that Callum already has more experience with the Formula 2 tyres - though not the 18-inch wheels. Really, the tyres and set-up were Marcus' biggest problem. He can drive, he can overtake, he knew exactly to which limits he could push the F3 car but he hasn't quite found that limit on this one yet. Rather, he crosses the limit every time and the tyres drop off, and consequently, so does his pace. 

Marcus spends the entire flight listening to music and repeating every detail he's able to recall from the data and his conversations with Callum. Now it's just a matter of putting it into practice. He knows when the tyres drop off, and where the limit is. But it doesn't guarantee anything, he could still completely miss the limit and push them too far again. He feels like he's been studying for a midterm, or for his final exams. His head is so full of data and information he barely notices the plane landing. It's only when the woman next to him gets up that he properly realises they've landed. He has to wait for his luggage, and then for the rest of the FDA to arrive so they can all head to the hotel together. Callum's the next one to land, having flown in from the UK. "Hey you," he says cheerfully, not at all looking like he just spent hours on a cramped plane. 

"How are you so upbeat?" Marcus complains, leaning on his suitcase and attempting to stretch his legs. 

"Good flight," Callum replies. "You look like you had a terrible flight."

Marcus shrugs. "Not too bad, I was just very distracted and now I kinda have a headache." Callum's eyebrow raise asks the question for him - _more studying?_ Marcus nods. Thankfully, it doesn't take the others too long to arrive and they can finally head to the hotel. Marcus fully intends to put his suitcase down and take a nap as soon as he gets to his room, but Callum's glance in his direction suggests there are other plans. And he guessed right. 

"We're going for dinner together," Callum announces. 

"And we're not invited?" Giuliano asks, one eyebrow raised. Rob nods in agreement.

"Nope," Callum says happily. "Marcus and I are going on a dinner date, just me and my man." He throws one arm around Marcus' shoulders and Marcus just lets it happen. He's too tired to argue, and actually, a dinner date doesn't sound too bad. He's hungry and he knows dinner with all five of them will result in a lot of loud chatter to be able to hear each other around the table, which definitely won't help his headache. 

"Fine, we'll have more fun without you anyway," Rob says before he drags Mick and Giuliano away - both of whom just let it happen, too used to it.

"Thanks," Marcus says quietly once the other three are out of hearing range. Callum squeezes his shoulder and gives him a quick smile. Marcus is glad Callum can read him so well because it's saved him from situations like these more than once. "I'll just drop off my suitcase and get changed. Meet you back at the elevator in ten?" Callum nods and they both head to their respective hotel rooms. Marcus changes into jeans and a simple T-shirt, knowing he doesn't have to dress up for Callum because he's seen him in absolutely everything from pj's to a tuxedo, and takes the rest of the ten minutes to lie on the bed and scroll through his phone. Ten minutes rushes by, though, and too soon for his liking, he has to get up to meet Callum at the elevator.

Dinner is fun, as it always is with Callum. They switch between talking and just eating in silence and it works. At the end of the evening, Marcus barely remembers he had a headache at the start of the evening. "It'll be fine, you know," Callum says after a silence. Marcus finishes his water and looks up at him. "The races," he clarifies. "You've studied so much, I don't think I've ever put this much work into tyre management studying and I was terrible at it last year."

"It's not like I'm magically gonna get better at it next year," Marcus replies quietly. "I'm not gonna wake up for the first race weekend and suddenly know exactly how I need to make the tyres work." 

Callum chuckles at that. "That's true. But I have faith you're gonna do well." He sounds so sincere and optimistic, Marcus can't help but believe him. "And you just tell your engineers what changes to make to the car, no more asking. Just state what you want and expect them to do it, you'll see they're way less likely to argue." Marcus nods. He knows that, should've done that way earlier, but he's gonna make these changes now. He's paying ART for a seat, so it's about time they actually help him like they're supposed to. He's still in that fighting mindset when he parts ways with Callum at the elevator again. "Good night Marcus," Callum says, waving over his shoulder. 

"Good night Callum." Marcus watches him until he's out of sight, before going back to his own room. He's feeling better about this weekend already, thanks to Callum. It's remarkable, how much Callum's faith in him makes him feel better, even when Marcus doesn't have that faith in himself.

* * *

Practice Friday morning goes well. Suspiciously well. Marcus gets the second fastest time in, and even though he knows it doesn't mean that much because it's only practice, it does feel good to hear his engineer tell him 'That's P2, Marcus, P2'. Callum passes him in the paddock to give him a quick pat on the shoulder before he's off to his own briefings before qualifying, and Christian also gives him a pat on the back. It feels good, but qualifying is where it matters. That's where he's got to show this same pace. But given that he was able to set up the car well in practice and get a lap in with no mistakes, he has some faith. 

It turns out to be positive, because he spends most of quali trading first place with Callum and Christian, and occasionally Mick. Callum ends up with pole, but Marcus gets another second place - his best qualifying of the year. It almost feels like he's gotten pole when his friends all come to congratulate him. Even Jüri's sent him a text that consists of a lot of happy emojis, all the way from Japan. Callum's the last one to stop by the ART awning, but he's the one Marcus wants to talk to the most. He can tell from the crinkles by his eyes that Callum has a massive grin on his face, and it lifts his own mood even further. "Hey Mr. Pole sitter," Marcus says happily.

"Hey yourself," Callum replies. "Second in quali, I knew you could do it." It makes Marcus' heart soar for some reason. It felt great hearing everyone else congratulate him, especially considering everyone has seen how much he's struggled this season, but it's Callum's that means the most to him. Now he's the one with a massive grin on his face. "Better watch it into turn one, considering you're starting next to me." 

"How about we both watch it into turn one and make it through with our front wings and tyres intact?" Marcus suggests and Callum chuckles.

"Yeah, that's probably a better plan."

They end up going for dinner again, but Mick and Christian join them this time. It's the entire top four in quali out for dinner, despite the three of them being championship rivals - not Marcus though. That's what Marcus loves about his group of motorsports friends. Even Callum and Mick, who've been trading the championship lead all season, get along just fine. They always have, and this hasn't come between them. Sure, they're all rivals, but they're also friends. Even when they run into each other on track, they're quick to apologise and move on, like the incident Marcus and Callum had in Sochi. They both hadn't picked up any damage, thankfully, but Marcus apologised for the run-in anyway. If Marcus is honest, he wants Callum to win. He's pretty sure Mick already has a Formula 1 seat lined up, but Callum has something to prove. Prove that he's good, he's a fighter and he can be a champion in the final step on the ladder to Formula 1. That said, he's not just gonna hand Callum the win if he can help it, though. That's not how it works, being a driver. They fight for it until the checkered flag.

And that's exactly what they do the next day, in the feature race. Marcus has a good start, manages to avoid any bullshit into turn one - though he does see some bullshit happening in his mirrors - and finds his rhythm from there on. His studying actually pays off - he remembers at which point the tyres will begin to fade, even though he can't feel it yet, and starts saving them by dropping back a little from Callum in P1. By the time he does feel the tyres drop off, he's coming in for his mandatory pit stop anyway. It's tricky in traffic, with guys on the alternate strategy ahead of him, and he has to fend off Mick at one point, but he crosses the line in second. Callum wins. Christian's third, Mick having dropped down to fourth on the last lap. 

There's no better feeling than being allowed to park his car at the 2 sign in parc fermé, except maybe parking at the 1 sign, and being congratulated by the team and Christian. Actually, he has to scrap that because there's no better feeling than seeing Callum absolutely beaming at him, happy both for his own win and the fact that Marcus is on the podium. "Knew you could do it," is what he says in Marcus' ear as he hugs him, before letting go.

**Author's Note:**

> I really tried not to go overboard with the information about tyres 'n all, because it's not exactly like I'm an expert (quite the opposite). But I figured data from previous races, like telemetry and all, would be useful for insights. 
> 
> Comments are, as always, very much appreciated 💜


End file.
